The Aquila Issue #16 September 2020 THIS ISSUE Birds of Thickson’s Woods - Cuckoos Milksnakes Butterflies of Thickson’s Woods From the Past - Black Tern Mothing Update Moth of the Year Female Red-winged Blackbird Not Just Moths Agelaius phoeniceus The Birds (Mike McEvoy) Supported by The Aquila The Birds of Thickson’s Woods by Margaret Bain CUCKOOS The cuckoos most of us are familiar with are the Old World cuckoos, with their distinctive, repeti- tive two-tone call and their bad reputation for- lay ing eggs in other birds’ nests. But these Old World birds are in a different family from our New World cuckoos. Ontario’s two species, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus and the Black-billed Cuckoo C. erythropthalmus, are intensely secretive, extremely interesting birds, often very hard to find or photograph as they are usually solitary, sitting alone, silently, well hidden for long periods in their favourite damp woods and dense undergrowth. Both of our cuckoos are slender brown birds, white beneath, with long, white-spotted tails. The Yellow-billed is the slightly larger of the two with bright rufous in its brown wings, much larger white spots in its tail, and a heavier yellow bill, while the Black-billed is much smaller but has a distinctive bright red eye. Both species are heard much more often than they are seen, with far-carrying hard, knocking calls of- ten in descending patterns, as well as more var- ied rolling, almost dovelike cooing sounds. Even though many calls are distinctive for each species, sometimes they can be so similar that in the sec- ond Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas cuckoos that were heard but not seen were recorded as unidentified cuckoos. Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythrophalmus (Mike McEvoy) Issue #16 September 2020 The Aquila Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythrophalmus (Mike McEvoy) Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus (Ed McAskill) The two cuckoo species both prefer eating the hairy, spiny caterpillars most other birds avoid, so outbreaks of Fall Webworm or Forest Tent Caterpillars can often increase the numbers of cuckoos in the affected areas. The abundance of these prey items often even affects where and when these birds will nest. Nesting hab- itat can vary from old fields and hedgerows to deciduous and mixed forests, and nesting dates from mid-May to early August. Both these cuckoos build their rather flimsy nests close to the ground, and rarely parasitize the nests of smaller birds like the Old World cuckoos so famously do – leaving that to Brown-headed Cowbirds in our province. However, each of the two species will sometimes lay its own eggs in the nest of the other. Issue #16 September 2020 The Aquila Yellow-billed Cuckoos are less common than Black-billed in Ontario and also a more southerly species, recorded more often in the Carolinian region of the south- west of the province than farther north, and breeding as far south as northern Mexico and the Caribbean. Both species winter in Central and South America: Black-billed chiefly in the west of South America as far as the north of Peru, while the Yellow-billed ventures to Uruguay and Argentina. Both Cuckoos are uncommon migrants to Thickson’s Woods although a Black-billed Cuckoo was heard calling in the Meadow several times during this summer. Listen to the Cuckoos Click on the speaker logo and you will hear cuckoos calling. Use the back arrow to return to the Newsletter May not work on mobile devices. Old World - Common Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Cuculus canorus. Coccyzus americanus Coccyzus erythropthalmus Huw Lloyd, XC560303. Jelmer Poelstra, XC83558. Dan Lane, XC179829. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/560303. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/83558. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/179829 Milksnakes We have had several reports of Milksnakes and Garter Snakes in the Reserve this year. The very small population of snakes seems to be surviving, despite the losses we find ev- ery year on the Waterfront Trail caused by irresponsible idiots who deliberately run over bask- ing snakes with their bikes. This healthy-looking adult Milk- snake was photographed this Spring by Ed McAskill in the northwest part of the woods. The head pattern looks very similar to a young snake pho- tographed by Nigel Parr three years ago - a very good sign. Phill Holder Milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum (Ed McAskill) Issue #16 September 2020 The Aquila Publications available from the Matt Holder Environmental Research Fund Shop Birds OF THICKSON’S WOODS Second “Field” Edition Field฀Identification฀Series Revised and updated with over 100 new photographs. BATS OF฀ A new warbler section includes large photographs of ONTARIO each of the 38 recorded species, showing differing male and female plumages. Includes a Field Checklist and Trail Map. Updated and Revised Edition TOBY J. THORNE with illustra�ons by Fiona A. Reid Ma� Holder Environmental Research Fund $25 Published by Hawk Owl Publishing Inc. Tax $25 to see some of the most colourful birds you can find anywhere in the world. Thickson’s This completely revised second edition, designed for use in the field, documents 323 full colour photographs of each species, including their status and the specific dates of Field฀Identification฀Series SHOREBIRDS of Southern Ontario Field Identification Series THE BASICS OF BIRD IDENTIFICATION Bird Topography Field฀Identification฀Series SILKWORM AND SPHINX MOTHS of BIRDS Southern Ontario OF THICKSON’S WOODS JEAN IRON Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund WHITBY ONTARIO Published by Hawk Owl Publishing Includes New Warbler Section, Over 100 New Photographs and a Complete Field Checklist PHILL HOLDER and MARGARET BAIN Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund PHILL HOLDER AND MARGARET BAIN Published by Hawk Owl Publishing DAVID BEADLE Matt Holder Environmental Education Fund $20 Published by Hawk Owl Publishing This completely revised second edition, designed for use in the field, documents 323 species of birds that have been seen so far in the Reserve. Illustrated with exceptional full colour photographs of each species, including status and the specific dates of the rarities seen, this is a must Available from have book for all birdwatchers. www.mattholderfund.com/shop Issue #16 September 2020 The Aquila • Unique, state of the art engineering • Lightweight construction • Revolutionary optical system • Perfectly natural colour rendition • Unmatched wide angle view • Exceptional viewing comfort KEEP YOUR DISTANCE - BUT STAY IN FOCUS • 30 Year warranty KITE LYNX HD+ 10x30 can focus from 1.3m to infinity Kite Lynx HD+ 10x50 voted “Best General Wildlife Binoculars 2020” 8x30 • 10x30 • 8x42 • 10x42 • 10x50 APC STABILIZED Perfectly Stable Images In The Most Challenging Conditions! Sizes: 10x30 • 12x30 The latest in stabilization tech featuring: • 36 Hour continuous run time • Correction angle 6 times more effective than most stabilizers • Intelligent sensors control on/off LOUPE MAGNIFIERS Available with built in LED! Also from Kite: SPOTTING SCOPES • VIATO BACKPACK • ACCESSORIES Distributed in Canada by: Red Raven Marketing • www.redravenphoto.com Issue #16 September 2020 The Aquila SPOTTED SANDPIPER POSTER Growing up Spotty Ed McAskill has studied and documented many bird species and spends hours and hours to ensure his sub- jects are photographed as they go about their every- day life making sure they are not disturbed. He has put together a series of brilliant photographs onto a poster documenting the growth stages of a Spotted Sandpiper from egg to immature plumage. Ed has kindly made his poster available for free down- load. Click on the poster to download Right click to save onto your computer Use the back arrow to return to the Newsletter ç (may not work on mobile devices) Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius (Ed McAskill) From the past Thickson’s Woods resident Warren Brailsford gave me some 35mm transparencies of Thickson’s Woods and Corbett Creek Marsh taken in 1982. Among them were these photographs of breeding Black Terns Chlidonias niger. Now considered an uncommon visitor, these birds once bred in large numbers in all the lakeside marshes in Durham Region. The last breeding pair recorded in Corbett Creek Marsh was in 1984 (Glenn Coady pers.comm). Phill Holder Issue #16 September 2020 The Aquila Butterflies of Thickson’s Woods Red-spotted Purple Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax (Mike King). The White Admiral butterfly is a common summer sight around the Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve, especially around the residents’ garden flowers. Less seen and considered rare at Thickson’s Woods is the Red-spotted Purple butterfly. These very different looking butterflies are in fact both the same species Limenitis arthemis. The White Admiral L. arthemis arthemis, has a white band where the Red-spotted Purple subspecies L. arthemis astyanax lacks the white band and has evolved to mimic the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor Because of the differences, these butterflies were once considered separate species. The Red-spotted Purple is a more southerly butterfly and is replaced by the White Admiral moving progressively north of Lake Erie although in recent years numbers of Red-spotted Purples have been increasing in our area. Hybridization occurs where the two populations overlap. Thickson’s Woods residents have reported several of these beautiful Red-spotted Purples among their flowers this summer. White Admiral Limenitis arthemis arthemis (Phill Holder). Phill Holder Issue #16 September 2020 The Aquila Mourning Cloak Dennis Barry On Wednesday July 15th, while we were sitting on our front porch, a very large butterfly flew over the garden. By its size I suspected it was the first Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphantes of the year. It then perched head- down on a fencepost a few feet away. Rather than a Giant Swallowtail, it was a Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa, by far the largest individual I have ever seen.